Nautical indicating device.



No. 865,277. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907'.

J. D. STANNARD.

NAUTIGAL INDICATING DEVICE.

APPLIUATION FILED 0012.13. 1906,

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

No. 865277.' PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907.L

J. D. STANNARD.

NAUTIGAL INDICATING DEVICE.

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,JAY D. s'rANNARD, oF PnNrX, ARIZONA TERRITORY.

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l Specification o fLetters Patent.

' Patented sept. s,19o7.

Appiano niet omis: 1a, 190e. seria so. 938,813.'

Y tion on the earths surface determined with apprc iinvention being to provide a device of this character` mate accuracy without the necessity of making the'- usual observations and calculations, the object of the which will be suciently accurate for all practical purposes and of value in cloudy and stormy weather and at other times when observations cannot be made.

In the accompanying drawings,-Figure l isa view in elevation, with certain rings in'lcentral vertical section, of a'nautical indicating device embodyingmy iny vention. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of the the rings being represented as disposed in ac ommonv plane for` better illustration of such Connections. Figs.

same taken on a plane at right angles to the plane of Fig. 3 is a detail of one of the'l angle indicators. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation, show section shown in Fig.

ing the electrical connections to the gyroscope motors,

`5 and 6 are detail sections, showing the mode oilextending the conductors through the trunnions.

Referring to the drawings, -A' designates' a globe bearingsa map o the earthssurface and provided at diametrically-opposite points, namely, at its .poles rotation in an inner ring B. The ring B is inturn pro- `with tru'nnions a, a, by which the globe is mounted for vided lwith trunnions b, b at right angles to axis a, a mounted to rotate on an inner vertical ring C, whereby said ring B is adapted to swing on a horizontal axis. The inner vertical ring C vturns on vertical bearings or trunnions c, c on an outer vertical ring D, from the base of which is suspended a weightD acting to normally maintain it in a vertical position by the action of gravity, irrespective of'the motions of thevessel on which-the device is' used. The'oute'r vertical ring is journaled onhorizontal bearings d, d carried by an outer or main, horizontal ring E which forms a support for the elements thus far described.LA The ring E is provided at right angles to the bearings d, d with trun-l nions e, e adapted to rest in suitable bearings in a casing or supportupon the ship.

An indicator f, comprising a plunger pin, is fitted to slide through the upper bearing c and is normally held in an elevated position by a spring f This plunger is provided with a pointed lower end adapted to indicate on the surface of the globe when the plunger is depressed the point oflocation ofthe vessel thereon. Angle `indicators g are disposed upon the rings adjacent the upper bearing c and each of the bearings -b, b and a, a inorder that the angular relation of the rings lmay be determined,"as hereinafter described, for indicating the course or position of the vessel.

Arranged within the globe is a preferably rectangular frame H in which are journaled a series of shafts h yarranged at right angles to each other, and each Carrying a pair of wheels or gyroscopes h". Connected with these shafts are electric motors or other driving devices h2 to'which the circuit wires llead from the exterior through. the bearings a, a.

The electrical connections fondriving the motors from abattery or other source of electrical current are clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 from which it will be seen that a conducting pin t' extendsV through each of the trunnions with the exception of the upper trun nion c, in which slidesthe plunger pin f, which is utilized as the conductor at that point, the pins being insulated from the 4globe and rings by insulating sleeves j'.- vThe pins are similar in construction, each being. held from longitudinal movement by heads if, i2, while thepin f slides in electrical Contact with conducting washers f2,f xed to the ends of the coacting sleeve j.

,; A set of conducting wires 7:, l, m and 'n connect the pin 'i ofone trunnionre with the pin 'i of one of the trunnions -a,l while a corresponding set of conductors 1c, l', m and a connect the pin ofthe other trunnion e with the pin 4of the other trunnion a, said sets of ranged on opposite sides of the instrument. The wires are suitably secured to the rings and terminally contact with the respective heads and washers i2, theirarrangement is such as not to interfere with the free move-g ments of the rings. The brushes of two of the motors are connected to the pins i of trunnions a by wires o, o, and wires 02,03, connect the brushesfof the other motors therewith.V 'Circuit wires p lead to the outer ends of the pins of conductors e from a battery or other source of electrical energy., (Not shown). -The current from the source flows through bine circuit wire p to the motors through one of the sets 'of conducting wires and back through the other sletof'wires and other circlrit wire p,

as will be readily understood. A suitable switch for controlling they electric current may be provided and arranged at any suitablepoint between 'the source of currentl supply land indicator.

" v It is 'well known that the tendency of a rapidly re- 'volving wheel or sphere is to maintain itself in the plane of its rotation. lf no other for'ces are acting upon it, .it will `retain its position as long as the rotation is continued. The effect, of the wheels or gyroscopes h revolving inlplanes at right angles to each other is to maintain the globe A in the position in which itlis set.

wires being arioo Hence if'the axis '1 1, a of the globe is placed parallel lto the earths axis and motion communicated to the wheels or gyroscopes, the said axis a, a would be maintained parallel to the earths axis so long as the motion` e would lie in the, plane of the meridian passing through New York and would be elevated through an angleV equal to the latitude of New York, the angle showing the latitude being observable on the coacting graduated circles g at b, b by means of a Vernier. An angle equal to the longitude of New York would be set off on the graduated circles f1, g adjacent a, a. These settings properly made would bring the location of New York on the globe directly under the pointer f, which could be observed by depressing the pointer. For convenience a similargraduated circle is applied at the top of the inner vertical ring C. This circle indicates the angle between a line joining the bow and stern of the vessel and the meridian passing through the location of the vessel, or in other words would indicate the direction in which the vessel is pointing. If, when thel globe has been so set and the gyroscopes are started before the ship moves, the ship may turn in any direction and go any distance, and the axis .a, a will constantly .remain parallel to the earths axis, while the vertical pointer f, influenced by gravitation, will always indicate the position of the ship on the earth through the relative motion between the pointer and globe thereby produced. A pen or pencil fixed on they end of this pointer would accordingly trace the path followed by the ship'over the water in going from one'port to another, provided it could work without friction on the globe.

It will, of course, be understood that due allowance may be made for incorrect readings in longitude which may ensue from the greater effect on the instrument of the rotation of the earth than from any possible eastward or westward movement of the ship.

Since theaxis d, d of the outer vertical circle D is vertical plane of the axis a, a, which is always in the meridian, will be the bearing of the course upon which i the ship is sailing. This bearing may be conveniently l read at any and all ,times on the graduated circle g adjacent the indicator f.

To make the action of this device clear, suppose a vessel in its initial position be located at the equator and in longitude 60 west with her head due north. Set the graduated circles g, g at b, b to indicate 0 latii tude and the graduated circles at a, a to indicate 60 west longitude. Let the north pole of the globe be turned to the north and the globe turned until the pointer f indicates the intersection of the equator with the 60th meridian. The axis of the'globe will now be parallelto the earths axis; hence the graduated circle about the pointer f will indicate 0 the angle between the centerline of the ship and the meridian. A vertil cal through f would make an angle of 90 at the earths centerwith the earths axis. The same vertical would been placed parallelto the axis of the former by the settings above noted. Let the gyroscopes of the device be now started and-'the vessel sail due north along the meridian a distance of 10 of latitude. In the new position a vertical through f makes an angle of 80* with the earths axis, and, since the axis of the globe has been maintained in a position parallel to the axis of the earth, the verticall through f must make the same angle with the axis of the globe. This is made possible by the rotation about the trunnions b, b. The axis a, a, which is at right angles to the trunnions b, b, has apparently raised 10 from its former position with respect to the ship. If the pointer f be nowdepressed it would indicate the point 10. north latitude, 60 west longitude"directly below it. The graduated circles g, g at b, b indicate 10 north latitude, and the graduated circles g, g at a, a would indicate 60 west longitude as at first. Let the ship now be turned due east and sail 10 north latitude.l The ships course would be shown on the graduated circle about f, which would read 90, the angle between the center line of the ship and the meridian. The final position of the ship on this course would be 10 north latitude, 50 west longitude, which point would be indicated on the lglobe by depressing the pointer f. The latitude 10 north would be read on the graduated circles g, g at b, b, and the longitude 50 West would be read on the graduated circles g, g at a, a. The motion of thedevice showing the change for the last course would be a rotation of the globe about its axis a, a, the globe having apparently turned 10 to the west, this movement bringing the 50th meridian west longitude under the pointer without change -in the latitude. If the pointer f were depressed at intervals along these two -courses it-Would indicate points along the two lines specified. The position at each depression accurately indicates the position of the ship at that instant. The earth may be regarded as having no motion and the ship as moving about on its surface in' more or less regular courses. y Y

The device herein described is capable of ,being placed in any position, and when so placed is there 'maintained by the three pairs of gyroscopesacting -in esl will actually and accurately follow the movement of the ship over the surface of the earth. Let a ship be blown from her course during a storm. The pointer will indicate at any instant the ships location, and the necessary direction to regain the course is at once shown. The ship s head has only to be so pointed that the outer vertical circle D covers the desired point on the globe, and the ship is thus headed on the most direct course towards the point.

, The device' is not intended to entirely supersede the compass or,obviate the necessity of making the usualI observations and calculations that are now necessary to vice will enable such location'to be determined with' a. fair degree of accuracy at-any time. The device is of -'value particularly incloudy and stormy weather to enable thefmaster to determine the position of the ship when observations cannot be made.

' adapted to coperate with the globe, and means whereby during the progress, of the vessel the indicator will change its set position to denote the course of travel and the position of the vessel on the globe.

l 2. .A nautical indicating device `comprising a globe capable of being ladjusted to set its axis parallel with the earths axis, a gyroscope for retaining the globe in such v position inthe course of travel ofthe vessel, an indicator adapted to coperate with the globe, 'means torholding the indicator in a determined position, and means whereby during the course` of the vessel the -relative position between the globe and indicator will vary to denote the curse of travel and the position ot the vessel on the globe.

3. A nautical indicating device comprising a globe capable of being adjusted to set its axis parallel with the earth's axis, rotating means within the globe for retaining the same in such position4 in the course of travel of the vessel, an indicator adapted to coperate with the globe, and a support for the indicator uninuenced by the motion of the vessel, the construction being such as to produce a relative motion between -the globe and indicator, whereby the latter is adapted to denote the course of travel and the position of the vessel` on the globe. 'y

'4. A'nautical indicator comprising a globe, a support on which the globe is revoluble in -one direction, said 'support being adjustable at an angle to the globe, whereby the latter may be adjusted to set its axis parallel with the earths axis, an indicator, a support for the indicator normlly maintained in a vertical position, said support being movable at an angle to the direction ot movement ot the globe and itsI support, a main support for pivotally mounting the device upon the vessel to adapt it to 'be uninuenced by the motion thereof, the construction being such that a relative motion between the globe and indicator will be produced during the course of travel o1' the vessel, whereby the indicator will act to indicate the position of the vessel on the globe, and means for` determining through the angular relation ci the parts the bearing of the vessel.

5. A nautical indicating device comprising a globe, y

means for rendering the globe capable of'adjustment to set 'its axis parallel with the earths axis, means for retaining the globe in such position in the course of travel of the vessel, and gravitycontrolled means movable relatively to the globe during the travel of the vessel for indicating the position of the latter on the globe. 4 In testimony whereof, I aiiix my signature in presence ot two witnesses. l

l JAY D. STANNARD. Witnesses: l

S. B. TAGGAnT, L. W. COGGINS. 

